ArticleJMIR research protocols2025
Defining and Measuring Engagement and Adherence in Digital Mental Health Interventions: Protocol for an Umbrella Review.
Article in JMIR research protocols, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Integration of Digital Therapeutics Into Occupational Rehabilitation in Germany: Multilevel Simulation Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDigital mental health interventions (DMHIs) offer scalable solutions to address mental health needs, particularly among marginalized populations. However, engagement and adherence rates in DMHIs are often suboptimal, limiting their potential impact. Despite the growing body of literature on DMHI engagement, there is no consensus on how engagement and adherence are defined and measured across studies. Understanding these variations is crucial to improving DMHI design, evaluation, and outcomes.
objectiveUsing the population, concept, context framework to frame the objectives, this umbrella review aims to synthesize existing systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and scoping reviews to identify how engagement and adherence are defined and measured in DMHIs. Additionally, this review seeks to explore factors that may influence DMHI engagement and adherence.
methodsA systematic search of peer-reviewed literature will be conducted across major electronic databases following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Eligible studies will include systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and scoping reviews published in English in the past 10 years that examine engagement and/or adherence in DMHIs. Data will be extracted and synthesized to identify definitions, measurement methods, and influencing factors. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist for systematic reviews and research syntheses. Findings will be presented using a mixed methods convergent integrated approach, identifying and synthesizing themes across the included quantitative and qualitative study results.
resultsThis study is expected to be conducted over a 6-month period. The search, conducted in early March 2025, initially identified 5087 papers. An additional 35 papers were found through manual handsearching of BMC Digital Health. These totals were recorded prior to the removal of duplicates. This umbrella review is expected to be conducted with screening, quality assessment, and data extraction streamlined through the Covidence platform. The screening and selection of studies will be performed in month 1, followed by data extraction and quality appraisal in months 2 and 3. Data synthesis and integration will take place in months 4 and 5, and writing conclusions and preparing the manuscript will occur in month 6. This review will provide a comprehensive summary of how engagement and adherence are operationalized across existing literature. It will highlight commonalities, inconsistencies, and gaps in definitions and measurement methods. Additionally, this review will outline the key factors that influence engagement and adherence, including individual, technological, and contextual elements.
conclusionsThis umbrella review will contribute to a more nuanced understanding of engagement and adherence in DMHIs, informing future intervention design and evaluation. The findings will support the development of standardized definitions and measurement frameworks, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness and inclusivity of DMHIs.
trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42025637603; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42025637603. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/73438.
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